HPLC Column management program

[wvuengr12]

I am looking into buying a HPLC Column management program. Does anyone have any suggestions? Preferrably it would be able to be part 11 compliant.

[bunnahabhain]

What exactly do you want to manage? I have an excel sheet here, just to have an overview which phases are available. Can be sorted by manufacturer, length, diameter, USP code etc. Also contained are storage conditions and appropriate performance verification test mix. We track usage of the columns on paper, This is easy and convenient as long as you don't have more than 50 individual columns in the lab.

[HPLCaddict]

This is easy and convenient as long as you don't have more than 50 individual columns in the lab.

We have around 400 columns in the lab here, and your approach is still easy and convenient .

[wvuengr12]

We are a very large lab and have approximately 4000+ active columns. We currently have a paper based system, which works well enough. What I am wanting is something that can track the columns and preferrably lend advice if a column seems to be degrading (via an increase in recorded pressure or increase in peak width of known components or an increase in tailing). I'm not sure if anything is out there like this but it would be very valuable to me to have this.

[Consumer Products Guy]

What I am wanting is ...advice if a column seems to be degrading (via an increase in recorded pressure or increase in peak width of known components or an increase in tailing).

If we observe a column that has increased in pressure, we swap out first the guard column or guard frit. If that, or tailing/peak shape is not corrected, we flush backwards (check first with column tech service to make sure this is OK, like frits are same size on each end), then re-install.

If that fails to restore performance, column goes in the trash, so no one else wastes valuable time/$$$ with it.

[bunnahabhain]

I agree with Consumer Products Guy. Maintaining a database with all those parameters will be additional work to the maintenance you would have to do anyway. Do what we did: Define specific performance tests for each column type; if it fails, try a few (and only a few!) regeneration steps. If the column can be saved by this procedure, document it and be happy. If not, discard it without putting too much effort into it and be more happy with a new column. Keep an eye on the cost of the regeneration procedure: Instrument, solvent and manpower time can sum up to the price of a new column rather quickly
Kind regards
Jörg

[aceto_81]

If you really want to track performance of lots of columns, a simple MS Access database will be sufficient and preferable above an Excel sheet.

Ace